Iceland volcano: stranded tourists and troops sail back to UK

HMS Albion has arrived in Britain carrying more than 280 civilians and 450
troops who had been stranded in Spain.

Tourists and soldiers boarded the ship at Santander in SpainPhoto: GETTY IMAGES

7:30AM BST 22 Apr 2010

The Royal Navy amphibious assault ship docked at Portsmouth Naval Base on Wednesday after picking up its passengers in Santander on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown ordered the 18,500-tonne warship to help bring the armed forces personnel home after they became stuck as they returned from operations in Afghanistan.

Aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal and helicopter carrier HMS Ocean have also been deployed to assist in returning British holidaymakers to the UK.

The troops who returned on Albion included soldiers, members of IX Squadron RAF, which operates Tornado jets and is based at RAF Marham, near King's Lynn, Norfolk, and medics from 33 Field Hospital based in Gosport, Hampshire.

Caught up in the disruption caused by the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud that grounded flights across northern Europe, they flew first to Cyprus, where they had to wait before flying on to Spain to be picked up by Albion.

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Among the civilians on board Albion were a group of teenage boys on a football tour and Stanley Johnson, the father of London Mayor Boris Johnson, who was held up returning from a trip to the Galapagos Islands.

The members of the public who were brought back on Albion were chosen as being among the ''most vulnerable stranded British citizens'' in Spain.

The civilians have been sharing navy rations with the troops on board, including fish and chips and curry.

Albion's executive officer, Commander John Gardner, said: ''We have spent the past six months training for whatever operations might come our way and the ship is well prepared for just this eventuality.

''We are delighted to be returning the soldiers, airmen and medics, who have endured an arduous past six months, to their families.

''That we can support the repatriation of those stranded abroad as well is a bonus.''

On their arrival, the civilians were taken by bus to Portsmouth's transport hub where they were met by Portsmouth City Council staff and Salvation Army and St John Ambulance volunteers to assist them with their onward travel.

A navy spokesman said Albion was purpose-built to support embarked troops but normally on a smaller scale than the numbers being brought back from Spain.

The spokesman said: ''This was no small task – the provision of extra hundreds of spaces for sleeping and the associated additional meals required was testing for the ship.

''On this occasion, the ship was not carrying her full complement of landing craft, which meant that the extra space could be used for accommodating some of the personnel embarked at Santander.''

HMS Albion is a Landing Platform Dock (LPD) whose normal role is to provide a floating headquarters for the Commander Amphibious Task Group and its staff alongside the commander and staff of 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines.

In addition to its normal complement of 350 sailors and Royal Marines, the ship has accommodation for up to 150 embarked military force as well as more than 70 vehicles, stores and equipment.

In normal circumstances the troops are disembarked using the ship's landing craft, four of which operate from a large internal dock.

The ship also has a large flight deck which can operate a wide range of helicopters including the Chinook.

Stanley Johnson said he and his wife were thrilled to be allowed on board Albion to return to the UK.

He told the BBC: "It has been an extraordinary couple of days following an extraordinary journey.

"I would like to congratulate most enormously the Royal Navy for the way they have handled it.

"It has been a humbling experience because of the politeness, consideration and professionalism with which we have been treated by the navy personnel."

Soldiers gave up their beds for civilians who had struggled by coach, train and car through the night to get to the northern port of Santander.

William and Janis Brown had been on holiday in Madrid and were due to fly home to Aberdeen, Scotland, last Saturday before their flight was cancelled.

Mr Brown, 59, said: "The experience was amazing. It was brilliant to spend time with the soldiers."

His wife, 58, added: "To be up close and personal with the servicemen and women for two days was incredible.

"They could not have done any more for us. They gave up their beds for us and it really felt like there was a Dunkirk spirit on board.

"They fell over themselves to help us. It's great to be back on British soil – it was an experience we could never have bought.

"I feel extremely humble to have been on board this ship with these people. It's really got us out of trouble."

Liam Cotter, 51, had been on holiday in Tenerife with his wife Sharon and children Grace, Patrick and Faith when the volcano halted air travel.

Mr Cotter, from Wetherby, Yorkshire, said: "If everyone in Britain could have had the experience that we had on board they would have a much different view of different troops.

"They were so polite, so articulate and they could not have treated us better.

"My 15 year old son said to me that if he could he would love to get back on board and do it all over again."

Another passenger, Andrew Widgery, from Hazlemere, Surrey, said: "We looked at all the options and ways of getting home. I even thought about buying a car because we were so desperate.

"We approached taxi companies in Madrid but they wanted to charge 4,800 Euros to get home. Even train fares were going to be over 1,000 euros.

"Thankfully we made it to Santander and we really were saved by the Navy. We are really happy to be home."